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Separating from my family
When i was about 9/10 years old, my father, who was very abusive, had beaten me with the metal part of a leather belt. I was struck on the head and had a very large scar on my forehead. My teacher saw it and called CPS on my family, and my mother didn't want me to lie, so i told CPS the truth that my father had hit me and she took me away to a hospital where i would say at for a year until an older cousin would take me in. -
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Behavioral Issues
After being separated and going to live with my cousin, i was a very troubled child. I was on medication for depression & anxiety, i had trouble at school, i was falling behind in school work, had several hospitalizations, and then i was admitted to a behavioral institution and my cousin finally couldn't handle me and put me in as a ward of the state in the state of Connecticut. -
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Group Home & Foster Mom
After becoming a ward of the state, I was bounced around from group home to group home until I met a very nice lady who took me in and she became my foster mom. Her name was Bettye Ball, she took me in and while i still had behavior issues, she took me to therapists and counselor and slowly, but surely, i started to get better. -
Biological Mother Passes Away
When i was 14, after many years of my mother fighting Multiple Sclerosis, my mothers long and hard battle came to an end. I remember seeing her in the hospital and letting my sisters cry on myself shoulders in the hospital room. I didn't cry at all. I had to be strong, until i saw my godparents at the final viewing and i started to cry my eyes out. They just reminded me of better times with my mom, where things were happier and all was right. -
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My Biological mother passes away
I was 13, had just finished 8th grade, and i got a phone call from my aunt notifying me that my mother had passed away. She had multiple sclerosis for many years and battled hard to fight the disease. She got really sick in my last year of middle school, and i remember not crying once when i visited her in the hospital. At the final viewing, i saw my godparents, and in that instance, i put my head on their shoulder and started to cry. They reminded me of when my mom was healthy and alive -
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I reunite with my Family and sister
In the fall of 2012, after many years away from my biological family, a great aunt of mine got wind of where i was and started the long and hard process of getting me from the state of CT and moving me in with her and her family. She had already adopted my sister and wanted to keep us two together. After about a year and a half worth of court dates and legal battles, i was granted permission to live with my aunt and I was reunited with my family and siblings. -
I Get casted in a Musical
After moving in with my aunt and my sister, I started a new high school & they had auditions for the upcoming musical, which was The Wiz. I was new, and i wanted to meet people, and i had always loved the theatre and singing, so i decided to give it a shot. I auditioned and got the role of the scarecrow. It was life changing. Performing that show gave me the dream and the theatre bug and sent me on the path of performing and thats a big reason why my major is Musical Theatre. -
Coming Out
In my senior year of high school, i made the bold decision of coming out to my parents and telling them that i was gay. To this date, it has been one of the hardest and scariest things i have ever done & the most rewarding. My family members had been asking me for years if i was gay, but i would always deny it. When i came out, it was like an huge weight was lifted. I remember crying the hardest i've ever cried in my life and afterwards, i just felt at peace with myself and my life.